Deer Dogs Banned on Kisatchie National Forest

U.S. Forest Service officials announced Thursday a ban on the use of dogs to hunt deer on the Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana.

Officials say complaints have been reported for years. Hunters have said they will appeal to the court system for relief, a move that resulted in a similar USFS decision being overturned three years ago.

“We continue to receive complaints about dog-deer hunters from adjacent landowners and other recreation users,” said Liz Agpaoa, regional forester for the Southern Region, told The Alexandria Town Talk. “Through the analysis, we have determined that dog deer hunting is no longer appropriate on the Kisatchie National Forest.”

“We’ll file an appeal again,” said Trent Hollingsworth, secretary/treasurer of the Louisiana Sportsmen Alliance, told the newspaper. The group has fought to keep dog deer hunting in Kisatchie. “This is not what the people want.”

Use of dogs to hunt deer was a more popular Southeast tradition years ago before rural areas became developed. Today, the remaining states that allow use of dogs for deer have a mixture of good and bad – as with anything – while trying to balance the hunters and non-hunting landowners.